Pipe coating machine



May 22 11953 0. R. SMITH PIPE COATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1948 ZNVENTOR.

5 Ham/m o. R. SMITH 2,554, 95 PIPE COATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. f/z

Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a pipe coating machine. 7

An object of the invention is to provide equipment of the character described which is used for applying a coating to pipe, particularly pipe lines in reconditioning the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable tank mounted on a tractor, preferably of the Caterpillar type, with means for heating the pipe coating material in the tank, for agitating or circulating said liquid material about the heating coils with means for delivering the coating material to the point of utilization and with means for moving the entire equipment alongside the pipe line being treated.

The invention also embodies means for suspending the pipe coating machine from the equipment and for adjusting it with relation to the pipe being coated so that the coating machine will at all times be maintained in correct operating position relative to the pipe.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the conditioning machine shown in its relation to the pipe line.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a front elevation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates the supporting frame as a whole which, as illustrated is mounted on any conventional type of Caterpillar tractor 2.

Extending forwardly from the frame there is a bracket 3 and a motor 4 is supported at its rear and. forward ends, respectively, by the forward end of the frame and by said bracket.

Spaced rearwardly of the motor and supported on the frame there is a tank 5 for heating the pipe coating liquid. This tank is closed but its top is provided with inlet openings normally maintained closed by shutters, as 6.

The tank is equipped with inside heating coils, as I, 1. These coils extend substantially throughout the length of the tank and each terminates, at one end, in an upwardly directed outlet flue 8 and at its other end terminates in a furnace 9 at the rear end of the tractor frame. The coils are spaced apart at the bottom of the tank.

The furnace 9 is equipped with suitable burn ers l0, l0 which are supplied with fuel from a fuel tank ll located above them and carried by the rear end of the tank 5.

A feed line l2 leads from the fuel tank H to the burners and is controlled by suitable valves, as I3. The furnace is substantially closed so that the heat generated therein passes through the coils l, l which constitute flues for the furnace and the coating liquid is thereby heated.

Arranged midway between the coils I and extending longitudinally of the tank 5 there is a shaft It which is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings provided for the purpose and this shaft has longitudinally extended vanes l5 disposed therearound and spaced apart longitudinally of the shaft. The forward end of the shaft has a sprocket wheel it fixed thereon and there is a sprocket chain I! which operates over said sprocket wheel to drive the shaft l4, said sprocket chain ll being driven from the driving shaft of the motor 4. The motor driving shaft may be clutched with, and declutched from, the chain I! by any conventional clutch mechanism.

When the shaft is is connected with its driving mechanism it will be rotated and the vanes l5 will effectively circulate the coating liquid about the heating coils.

Supported by the tractor framework and embracing the tank 5 there are the upstanding inverted front and rear U-frames l8 and I9 and mounted to rotate between them, at one side of the tank, there is a cable winding drum 20 which is operatively connected with the motor 4 in the conventional manner through the driving chain 2| and driving shaft 22 connected therewith.

At the side of the tractor opposite the drum 20 there is a boom 23 whose side arms are pivotally connected, at one end, to the lower ends of the U-frames I8, I 9. The side arms of the boom 23 converge and are united at their free ends and carry a pulley 24. The boom may be manipulated by means of a cable 25 one end of which is connected to the free end of the boom, said cable being wound about the drum 2!] to be manipulated thereby. The drum 2G is operatively connected with the motor t, as hereinbefore stated, said operative connections including a transmission mechanism 26 whereby the speed of the drum may be regulated and controlled.

There is a cable 2? which operates over the pulley 24 and one end of which is suitably connected to the tractor frame or to a manipulating winch provided for the purpose, such as 21a.

The other end of this cable carries a hook 28, or similar connecting means whereby it may be connected to the hail of a conventional type of pipe coating machine indicated generally by the numeral 29 and which is designed to travel along around the pipe to be coated.

Leading from the bottom of the tank and connected into the coating machine there is a delivery line 39 through which the coating material may be delivered to the coating machine as required and by it to the pipe to be coated.

In use the tractor moves alongside the elevated pipe line to be reconditioned with the coating machine 29 disposed around said line and swung from the-bom-23. The coating material will be fed through the line=30 and the flow of said coating material may be controlled by a control valve 3| as illustrated in Figure 1. The coating operation may be continuous as additional coating material may be supplied, from time to-timeg to the tank 5 through the inlet openings which are "merely while the broad principle-of the invention will b'e'defined by the appended claims.

' What I' claim is:

1. In apparatus of the characterdescribed,

combination, a frame adapted to be mounted on taself-propell'ed tractor, a tank for heating pipe coating liquid supported on the frame, a furnace 'operatively'connected tosaid tank mounted on said frame, a heating coil in said tank having one end terminating in an outlet flue and the other *endterminating in said furnace, a fuel reservoir on the tank, ashaft arranged longitudinally in the tank and mounted for rotation therein; agitating'means dlsposedaroundthe shaft, driving means con'nected'to the shaft to circulate the coating liquid about the heating coils, upstanding u fram'es mounted on the frame and extending oversaidtank', a'cable winding drum mounted'to rotate between said U-frames at one side of l the vehicle, convergingside arms pivotally connected; at their lower ends, to said U-frames at combination, a frame adapted .to be mounted on aself-propelled vehicle, a: tank for pipe coating liquid supported on the frame, upstanding U- frames connected at their ends to said frame at opposite sides of the vehicle and extending over -the tankgcable winding mechanism mounted to rotate between said U-frames at one side of the vehicle, converging side arms united at their ac-upperendsand pivotally connected at their lowerends to said U-frames at the other side of the vehicle; a pulley carried on the united ends of said arms, a cable wound on said winding mechanism and 'passingover said pulley, means secured to the free end of the cable to be con- "mected to a. pipe coating machine, cable :means ---operatively connected to saidtwinding mechan'ism and to-said arms for rai'sing and lowering said arms, and delivery line leading from the --=tank and connected: into the ooatingmachine to deliver the liquid to thecoating machine.

OLIVER R. SlVHTI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

the other side of the vehicle, a'pulley'carried on UN ITED STATES PATENTS Number i Name Date =.'1,8 04',592 L, Chase-- May 12, 1931 2' 1,846,249 'LCo'oketialv Feb. 23, 1932 1,867 ,4'76 l'aRogers July 12, 1932 1,877,974 Robb Sept. 20, 1932 1,925,169 Berg. v Sept. 5, 1933 1 1,941,002 iHarrison hn Dec. 26,1933 2,076,172 Bowden .Apr. 6, 1937 

